THE personalities and passion behind a massive protest to halt the proliferation of wind turbines in mid Wales are revealed in an entertaining and thought-provoking new S4C series.

Documentary Gwynt Ynni Hwyliau (Wind In Their Sails) on Tuesday captures the characters and camaraderie behind a campaign to prevent up to 800 wind turbines being built in Montgomeryshire.

Protestors from all walks of life have joined forces to fight plans that include a proposed new substation for Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion, and Abermiwl, near Newtown. Pylons will be built through the Meifod Valley and linked to the proposed turbines.

Nia Ceidiog, producer and director of the series, set out to understand what drives people to stand up and protest.

Wrexham-born Nia, managing director of TV production company Ceidiog, said: “I just felt it was so interesting to watch and see all these very different people from very different backgrounds who are brought together by this one issue. “What is it that makes people raise their voice? What is it that says to you at a certain point that you are not prepared to tolerate this anymore and decide to do something about it and then discover there are lots of other people feeling the same way.

“We didn’t want to make a story about the issue and it is not about coming down on one side or the other, but I think it is important to tell this story of people protesting.”

Nia, now based in Cardiff, was first introduced to the people behind the protest by radio presenter Myfanwy Alexander, who is featured in the series.

“We met up and she told me all about the interesting people and the diversity, skills and backgrounds among the group,” said Nia.

“There are a lot of separate groups involved in fighting the turbine plans but my films just focus on a group of individuals in a smallish area from Meifod to Llangadfan.”

Also in the show are travel writer Carolle Doyle, young farmer and Welsh cob breeder David Oliver, landscape architect Huw Morgan and barrister Neville Thomas QC.

There is also music by retired dairy farmer John Hughes who, after leaving agriculture, has taken up his first love – country music – and performs regularly.

Nia said: “He has written a whole album of protest songs and we filmed him recording his Christmas single, which Myfanwy contributed the Welsh lyrics for. It is light hearted and entertaining to watch.”

The series also documents the often novel ways which the group come up with to raise money for and promote their cause.

Nia said: “The group produced a comprehensive report to back up what they were saying and they decided they should present it to AMs in Cardiff themselves. They came up with the idea of printing very large maps of the area and putting them on to banners, which then went on the sides of their Land Rovers and trailers before they travelled in convoy to Cardiff to deliver the report.

“It was a wonderfully visual event for us to film but also represented the hard work and effort people were prepared to put in, in order to make sure their voice is heard.”

Nia, who wrote the original Fireman Sam, was behind children’s documentary series Y Diwrnod Mawr (Big Day), which was nominated for five major awards last year. It was shortlisted by the international Rose D’or Awards, the Children’s UK Baftas, the Royal Television Society, Bafta Wales and the Celtic Media Festival awards.

Nia believes it is the characters in Gwynt Ynni Hwyliau who bring the series alive.

She said: “I had great fun filming it and it has been a fantastic project to work on. I think the series is entertaining and engaging and that is what makes good TV. Yes, we try to make films which are enlightening and informative but it’s not television unless it is also entertaining.”